Rising From The Ashes
by klutzysunshine
Summary: After the team escapes the Framework, it surprises them by spitting out an alive Grant Ward.


**I don't own Agents of SHIELD nor will I ever. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

Skye and Jemma leaned on each other as they made their way to medical but a roaring sound stopped them in their tracks. "What the hell is that?" a terrified Jemma questioned.

"I have no fucking clue but I wish we could run!" Skye shouted as the roaring got louder and louder. To stay they were stunned when Grant Ward appeared in front of them, curled up in a ball and bleeding, was an understatement. At least the roaring had stopped. Still tangled up together, the two slowly made their way over to him, suddenly thankful the other SHIELD agents were rescuing their team. Skye shook him. "Are you okay?"

"Not really," Grant admitted.

Despite their numerous injuries, Skye and Jemma picked him up and the injured party of three slowly started making their way towards the medical lab.

The doctors took one look at them and immediately sprung into action. Surprisingly, they all refused to be separated more than a few feet (the Framework had really fucked with everyone) and had to keep looking et each other as their injuries were taken care of. "Does anybody have any word on our team?" Skye frantically questioned as her wounds were stitched up.

"They're on their way back now to be treated for their injuries. Agent Johnson, I must insist you relax!"

"Well, this is bad," Jemma murmured, glaring at her doctor as he nearly fucked up one of her stitches.

"I really don't understand what's happening right now!" That came from Grant, the least injured of the three.

"How are you hurt anyway?" Skye asked just so she could keep her mind off her team. She didn't want to panic about them.

"I was trying to save you guys from Hydra goons," he reminded her. Grant sighed, furious with himself for failing to protect them. "Somehow that translates to real world injuries too? Still have no fucking clue how I'm back." He remembered two different timelines and it was really fucking with his head.

As soon as their injuries were taken care of, the base erupted in chaos once more as the team were rushed into medical so their numerous injuries could be treated - May seemed to be the worst off after Skye and Jemma, presumably because she had been held captive for weeks. "Aida's gone for good now!" Coulson called over to a worried and Skye.

They sighed in relief, thankful that she wouldn't be able to hurt them ever again and that the robot uprising had been stopped.

Careful not to jostle her numerous injuries, Skye crawled into bed with Grant so they could cuddle. "You two are sickeningly sweet." Jemma just shook her head at them, keeping a careful eye on Fitz.

"Oh, like you and Fitz aren't?" Skye teasingly shot back, laughing when her best friend glared at her.

Grant shook with laughter. "You two are still the same, I see." He groaned when he went to move over a bit more to accommodate his girlfriend and jostled some of his injuries.

"Be careful," Skye fussed.

"I could say the same thing about you. How are you feeling?" He couldn't help the flashbacks to the last time she had gotten shot and shuddered at the memories.

"Okay," Skye lied and then whimpered when she moved the wrong way. "I'll recover," she amended, smiling at the look of awe and love on his face.

"Good." He kissed her and then the two of them fell asleep in each other's arms, suddenly so exhausted they could no longer stay awake.

* * *

One by one, everyone on the team was released from medical. May stayed the longest because she had been in the Framework the longest and her injuries were numerous. Nobody was surprised when Coulson refused to leave his side (they had definitely grown closer in the Framework, something Skye and Jemma didn't want to think about it as they had walked in on them quite a few times). Skye admired the new ring on her best friend's finger as they squealed about the engagement together. "I can't believe Fitz proposed!"

"Hey, I'm right here!" he protested, sending a glare in her direction.

"We know. A robot proposed you did."

Grant's body shook with laughter at the look on Fitz's face. "That was a pretty solid burn, Fitz. Sorry!"

Fitz scowled at him. "Let's see how you propose!"

"Hey, I had a plan in the Framework! You're not going to find out what it is, though." He was keeping it to himself until he actually worked up the courage to propose to Skye for real (she was definitely excited at the prospect).Mak

"Well, you did pick out an amazing ring so there's that. And I'm the maid-of-honor, right, Jemma?" Skye pressed.

Jemma rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you even had to ask."

"What happened in the Framework that you're all this close?" a confused Elena questioned as Mack pulled her into his arms.

"So much shit went down. And none of it really made all that much sense so we're glad to be back here." Skye laughed when Grant kissed her and told her he loved her.

"Ah, magical resurrections." Mack was a little bitter Hope hadn't been resurrected like Grant but he wasn't about to ruin anybody's happiness.

"Yup. And I'm sorry Hope's gone," Skye whispered to Mack.

"Thanks, Tremors."

"At least there's no current crisis occurring so we can relax for the time being." Elena was exhausted and she hadn't even been in the Framework.

They all groaned. "You just jinxed us," Mack informed her, sighing.

She winced. "I did, didn't I? Sorry!" At least it couldn't be as bad as the disaster they had just stopped (hopefully, anyway).

"Eh, it's not like it matters. We're spies - they're always some sort of crisis." Grant was hungry and wanted to head towards the kitchen but he didn't feel like getting up off the couch just yet.

Skye nodded her head in agreement. "He's right, actually."

"Well, I'm not wrong all the time," he teasingly grumbled.

"Stop," she shot back, leaning up to kiss him anyway.

"I can't think straight when you do," a gleeful Grant informed her once they were finally done making out (and disgusting the others).

"You're like a phoenix," Jemma told Grant, derailing the conversation and confusing everyone.

"What?" Grant could only stare at her.

She rolled her eyes at him. "You died but rose from the ashes, reborn, because of magic. It's actually quite poetic that you got this second chance because you can make up for your actions. Don't waste this," Jemma advised him.

"I know what a phoenix is, and I'm definitely not planning on wasting it. I will make up for my fuck-ups," Grant promised.

"It's going to be a long road but I know he can earn redemption." Skye teared up and beamed at her boyfriend.

The two of them exchanged "I love you's" and kissed again, causing the others to all groan. "The PDA is out of control. Get a room!" Fitz told them.

"Deal with it, Fitz! You and Jemma should get a room."

Mindful of their healing injuries, Grant picked up Skye and they took off towards her room (that was now his too). "I fell in love with you the minute I opened your van door, Skye."

"You're really fucking sappy, Grant. It's adorable." She wished she had known this side of him _before_ the Framework that had changed their lives permanently. "And I'm not entirely sure when I fell in love with you. When did you realize how you felt about me, though?"

He cringed at the memory. "After Garrett had you shot and you nearly died. I should have said something then but I panicked." He hated himself for not speaking up right there and then but Garrett's brainwashing had worked well.

Skye smiled sadly at him. "At least you realize now he was abusive. Therapy's going to help, even though I know you don't want to go."

"Hey, I was reborn, like Jemma said. There's no way I'm fucking it up this time." He was absolutely determined to prove himself and knew he could do it with the woman he loved and their family by his side.

"You won't. Now let's make up for lost time. There's years we weren't having sex when we should have been."

He laughed. "I like your enthusiasm, baby."

"Thanks." God, she'd never get tired of this man and was so thankful the Framework had revived him (she hated it for the rest of the shit it pulled, however).

Nothing could come between Skye and Grant (and their family) again, even when the next crisis popped up rather quickly (Elena _had_ jinxed them, and they scowled at her every time they saw her for the next few weeks). The Framework had changed some lives for the better even though it had been meant to distract them (obviously, it had failed in its mission in numerous ways, even though it had done some good by resurrecting Grant).


End file.
